I remember my first mathematics lecture when we had a very animated lecturer who used his "stage" to demonstrate Zeno's Dichotomy Paradox.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He started at one side of the lecture hall and posed the problem that he wanted to get to the other side. He asked if it was logical that he must reach the halfway point to get to the other side. We all agreed.
He ran halfway across the lecture hall and timed the event. It took a couple of seconds. He demonstrated that it took a finite amount of time to reach the halfway point.
Now he said that to reach the other side he would have to reach the new halfway point. Again a shorter sprint in less time. Within a few minutes he was making miniscule jumps that were halfway to his end point without ever reaching the end.
You might also like:
This was a very visual demonstration and, theoretically, he could never reach the end point with each hallway jump being half the size of the previous jump. Innovation in a mature part of the tech market sometimes feels a bit like the jumps in this paradox.
When a new market segment launches, it is a huge jump. A revolutionary step forward.
As each subsequent version of a model is released, it seems as though the steps forward are smaller as evolution takes over revolution. At some point in a segment lifecycle, it feels like my lecturer as he approached the other side of the room. Tiny, almost imperceptible, movement forward.
Innovation in a mature part of the tech market sometimes feels a bit like the jumps in [the Zeno's Dichotomy] paradox.
Apple held their latest announcement event early on Thursday morning. To start off, let me say I am excited. Actually, I am not sure if I am, but it seems that each presenter had a quota for how many times they were required to tell us they were excited so I feel somehow brainwashed in to following the pattern.
Taking one step back from the specific features, it seems that the latest objective from Apple is to make their brand indispensable in our daily lives.
Four models of the iPhone 14 were announced. The iPhone 14 replaces the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 14 Plus replaces the Mini. Apparently bigger is better.
The 14 has slightly better performance and better photography than last year. The Pro models (Pro and Pro Max) receive a faster chipset that helps with performance but also helps take better photos on the upgraded 48MP camera.
The large notch is gone and has been replaced with a small cut-out called a Dynamic Island. All four phones now have crash detection to call for help if you are in a car accident and you can send an emergency text even if you are out of reception with emergency text via satellite.
The Apple Watch Series 8 now has a temperature sensor which can deliver even more health information to an increasingly unhealthy society. The watch also receives crash detection and international roaming.
An upgraded Watch SE was also announced but the big watch news was the Watch Ultra. A rugged watch for extreme or endurance athletes. Made from titanium with a larger 49mm face and double the battery life and double the water depth resistance, I can see this being a big hit in its target market.
The second generation AirPods Pro was the last announcement which will deliver better sound and battery life than the originals.
Whilst Zeno's Dichotomy Paradox is fresh in your mind, send me an e-mail at ask@techtalk.digital and tell me why you think you can reach the door of the room you are currently in.
- Mathew Dickerson is a technologist, futurist and host of the Tech Talk podcast.
